As people on the frontlines of serving the community, first responders and health care professionals have to pay extra special attention to hand hygiene.
While each entity or organization may have its own specific protocols or procedures for ensuring individuals have the clean hands they need to do their jobs, there is general guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that touts the standard 20-second scrub rule.
To help add some fun to an activity they all do multiple times a day, members of the UTMB community are taking a pause from their daily routines to belt out 20-second snippets of some of their favorite songs.
“The thought behind the initiative is to get people excited about something very routine and mundane like washing your hands,” said Margaret Battistelli, UTMB Health communications specialist and the individual who gets credit for launching the crooning campaign that is currently running across all UTMB Health campuses. “Just because we have to do something, doesn't mean it can't be fun!”
So, the next time you go to wash your hands, consider singing 20 seconds of your favorite song instead of the tired old “Happy Birthday” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
Or, for some other inspiration, check out this video of Dr. Dwight Wolf, UTMB child psychologist, singing 'Galveston.'